Love Without Boundaries - Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Fifteen
Preston was finishing getting ready when his mom called him downstairs.
“Preston your boyfriend is here.” His mom shouted.
“Ok” Preston shout as he gave himself one more look in the mirror before heading downstairs. When Preston made it downstairs, Grant was sitting down and was talking with his mom and Ann Marie. Preston stood at the doorway and watched how well Grant was getting along with everyone. He also noticed Grant had gotten a haircut; he was no longer sporting a ponytail. He was surprised Grant had cut his hair; it had taken him a long time to grow it. Now his hair was medium length and it really looked good on him.
“I hope you’re not showing him any embarrassing baby pictures of me?” Preston said as he came into the room.
“Oh that reminds me” Preston’s mom said as she got up and grabbed a photo album off the shelf.
“Just look at these photos of Preston when he was little, he used to run around naked all the time. I had a hard time trying to keep him in his clothes.” His mom chuckled.
“Oh Preston do you remember this?” Ann Marie asked holding up a photo of him and Ann Marie in the bathtub together.
“Oh God yes, I believe I was crying the whole time because you stole my bath toy. You were always taking my toys away from me.”
“Oh my God I did not.” Ann Marie threw a pillow at him, and missed him.
“Hey stop it now I don’t need you two breaking anything.”
“Sorry” they both said.
“Ok I’m sure we have all had a good time making fun of me today, but I would like some time alone with Grant before everyone else get here.” Preston grabbed Grant’s hand pulled him after him.
“Preston, come on you can’t be rude. Besides we are having fun.” Grant said.
“Yeah Preston don’t be a party pooper, plus Robbie will be here any minute.”
“Fine if we must, we can just stay here and have more fun at my expense.”
“Aw come on love, don’t be like that. If it makes you feel any better I can tell you some of my embarrassing stories when I was growing up.”
“No that’s fine.”
“Grant, are you going to the same college as Preston and me?” Ann Marie asked.
“Yes, actually it will be my last year.”
“What are you majoring in?”
“I am a History major, I plan on becoming an archivist and if that doesn’t work out I could always be a history teacher.”
“Teaching is that something you have always wanted to do or just a last resort?”
“No I want to teach, but I also want to work in museums and art galleries.”
“I’m assuming you have a lot of research skills then?”
“Yeah I do and it comes in handy for all my term papers. Also it gives me a chance to make some extra cash.”
“Extra cash,” asked Ann Marie.
“Yes when it comes time for term papers, I’m the guy to see if you need help.”
“Oh ok I see; well now that is a skill that will never go to waste.”
“So if I needed help on a term paper, I could just come see you?” Ann Marie asked.
“Yeah sure I would gladly help you out.”
“Great, because I’m also going into teaching but as an English teacher; I could really use some help in improving my research skills.”
“Hey family” Xavier said as he and Cynthia walked into the room.
“Zay come meet Preston’s boyfriend.” Ann Marie said as she grabbed his hand and dragged him to where Grant and Preston were sitting.
“Hi I’m Grant,” he said as he stuck out his hand. Xavier shook his hand.
“I’m Xavier and this little lady is Cynthia my fiancée.” Cynthia wasn’t happy about having to be here for dinner, but she promised to be on her best behavior.
“Hi it’s nice to meet you,” she said as she slapped on a fake smile. Grant knew that she wasn’t happy about having dinner with him and Preston, but he wasn’t going to let her ruin the day.
“Likewise” he said as he shook her hand.
“So is dinner ready, I’m starving.” Xavier said.
“Yes it is, but we are waiting for Robbie.” Erin said.
“What, dad isn’t joining us for dinner?” Preston asked.
“No honey, he had to take over Dr. Howard’s rounds tonight.” Preston knew it wasn’t true, he had offer himself just to get out of having dinner with them. Just then the doorbell went off.
“Finally” Xavier said
“Oh be quiet Zay or I‘ll make you starve.” Ann Marie said as she got up to go answer the door. When she opened the door, she saw Robbie waiting outside. She noticed he was wearing his glasses. He looked good in glasses; she wished he would wear them more often.
“Did you forget to get your new contacts again?”
“Well hello to you too and yes I forgot.” Robbie said as he kissed her on the cheek."
“Sorry hello, you know you should just wear glasses all the time. They make you look very handsome.” Robert chuckled, removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
“Hum I don’t think so, no matter how handsome you think I look in them.”
“Oh come on they can’t be that bad?”
“Yes they are especially if you don’t use them on regular basis.”
“Ok fine don’t use them, now come on you need to meet my cousin and his boyfriend.”  Robert stopped in his tracks; she didn’t tell him that Preston’s boyfriend was going to be here. Ann Marie noticed that Robert wasn’t following her.
“What’s wrong?”
“You told me your cousin’s boyfriend wasn’t going to be here.
“Is that going to be a problem, I didn’t think you were going to mind. You know since you don’t have a problem with gays; unless you do have a problem with gays?”
“No I don’t I just thought I was just meeting your cousin that’s all. But if the boyfriend is here then I will meet him as well.”
“Ok come on then, everyone is waiting in the living room and Xavier is dying from hunger.”
“Ok let’s go” Robert let Ann Marie lead him into the living room, all he could think about is what Preston was going to do when he saw him. What was he going to do when he finally meets Preston’s boyfriend, Robert wasn’t sure if he would be able to hold back. He knew being in the same room with Preston’s boyfriend was going to put him on edge. He just hoped he could restrain himself from saying anything that could put Preston in a bad place with his boyfriend.
“Hey everyone Robbie is here.” she had lead him to where Preston and his boyfriend sat. The moment Preston saw him, he knew he was thinking how long Robert had known that Ann Marie was his cousin. He knew Preston wanted to say something but he couldn’t, not with his boyfriend here.
“Preston and Grant this is my boyfriend Robbie Castillo.”
Robert shook Grant’s hand first then he moved on to Preston. Preston was staring at Robert, he couldn’t believe that he was Ann Marie’s boyfriend and Robert knew that they were cousins all along and never said anything to him. He wanted to call him on it, but couldn’t while Grant was here. He was afraid of what Grant would say when he found out that Robert is the friend he hung out with yesterday.
“Nice to meet you Robbie, let me guess that’s short for Robert?”
“Yes it is and it’s ok if you want to call me Robert.”
Preston was getting the feeling that Robert didn’t care much for the nickname Robbie. He was going to make Robert feel uncomfortable for lying to him.
“No, I think I’m going to call you Robbie, it has a better ring then Robert.”
Robert was  sure that Preston suspected he knew all along that he and Ann Marie were cousins. And since he didn’t tell him, Preston was going to make him super uncomfortable for as long as he could.
“Ok that’s fine call me Robbie, almost everyone does.”
Preston could  see that he really didn’t like the nickname Robbie, but he was too much of a nice person to say that he hated the name. What Preston couldn’t understand is why Robert didn’t just tell him that he was Ann Marie’s boyfriend. He looked at Robert again, he looked like he was ready to leave and he had an intense stare directed at Grant.  He wasn’t sure how Robert felt about Grant, but he knew now. As much as Robert disliked Grant, he was trying very hard not to let it show.
“Grant how did you and Preston meet?” Robert asked
“We met at a café in Paris; you could say it was love at first sight.”
The way Grant stared at Preston was enough to make Robert sick. How could he sit there and claim he was so in love with Preston, and then forced him to come out to his family when he wasn’t ready. Preston deserved better then Grant.
“Aw that is so sweet, don’t you think so Robbie?” Ann Marie asked.
He didn’t think it was sweet at all, “Um yeah sure.” Robert was trying to remain cool, but it didn’t look like it was happening.
“Are you alright Robert?”
Robert knew that if he tried to lie to Ann Marie she would see right through him. “No excuse me.” Robert got up and headed to the bathroom. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. One minute he was fine then the next he felt sick to his stomach. He just needed to get out of there; there was a knock at the bathroom door.
“Robbie, are you ok, do you need anything?” he heard Ann Marie ask through the door.   Robert didn’t feel like going back in there, and felt like the best choice was to go home. Robert waited a few minutes before he opened the door.
“I think am going home, I don’t feel good.” Robert said as he stepped out of the bathroom. Ann Marie stepped closer to him and placed her hand on his forehead.
“You’re burning up, what’s wrong?”
He didn’t know what was wrong with him. “I’m not sure, I was fine then all of a sudden I felt sick to my stomach. I think I might have eaten something bad or I have a stomach bug.”
“I think your right, you should go home. You look terrible, go home and sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I don’t want to be rude and just leave like this. I don’t want them to get the wrong idea that I don’t want to be here.”
“Hey don’t worry about it; they will understand that you’re not feeling well.”
“At least let me say goodbye.”
“Of course, come on.” She took his hand and led him back to the living room. Everyone turned around when Ann Marie and Robert walked back into the room.
“Robbie, are you feeling well?” Preston’s mom asked.
“No ma’am I’m not and I hate to be rude and leave before dinner.”
“Don't worry about it Robbie, just go home and feel better.”
“Thank you ma’am, and again I am sorry for leaving so early. Preston and Grant it was nice to meet you.” Robert was staring directly at Preston when he said that. He finished his goodbyes and left. If he was lucky, he could make it back home in time to save Nora from going to dinner.
When Robert got home, he was glad to see that his family was still here.  He walked into the house and went straight for Nora’s room. He knocked and waited for her to open up. He could hear her moving around in her room and the sounds of her feet stomping as she made her way to the door.
“Dang it Rose, it’s not time to leave, why must you bother me.” Nora yelled as she flung open the door. She stopped mid rant and pounced on Robert.
“Your home, you came to save me!” she let out a gleeful scream.
“Of course I came home; I couldn’t let you face dinner on your own. Now let me go or I might throw up on you.” she let out a giggle as she release her grip on Robert.
“Did he see you come home yet?”
“No, you’re the only one that knows I’m home. Plus I missed you so much I couldn’t bear being away from you.” Robert said as he picked up his sister. She was small like their mom.
“No really, why did you leave early?”
“Ok for some reason when I got there I was feeling fine, but then I ended up not feeling well and Ann Marie thought it was best if I came home.”
“But you don’t look sick.”
“I know I feel a whole lot better now, I guess it was just nerves.”
“Maybe you just didn’t like the company?”
“Come on Nora, I don’t have a problem with gays and you know it.”
“Ok I know, but maybe there was someone you just didn’t like.”
He let Nora’s word simmer in his mind could she be right? Could meeting Grant and having to be nice to him actually make him sick?
“No I don’t think so; I just think I was nervous about meeting Ann Marie’s cousin and his boyfriend. Well I’m fine now and I get to be with you for dinner.”
“Yay, now I don’t have to worry about Rose being Rose.”
“You know you shouldn’t let her get to you all the time.”
“Yes Robert I know, it’s just hard to ignore Rose sometimes. She just knows how to get into your head and burrow deep into your brain.  She knows which buttons to push”
“Only if you let her she will. Now come on I know you can keep her out of your head.”
“I know and I will try harder, I promise.” Nora said as she hugged him.
He hugged her back and kissed her the top of her head. He loved his sister Nora; she was so sweet and innocent. Even though she was fifteen she didn’t act like most teens her age. He knew that Rose was a big part of why she was the way she was. Nevertheless, he also felt bad that she let Rose bully her so easily. He knew that once he left for college, Rose would torment her and bully her into things she doesn’t want to do. He hated going to school so far away from home, he had no choice but to attend that school. His father only did it to keep him away from Nora. He believed she depended too much on Robert and needed to grow up. While he was still here, he was going to make sure to protect Nora from Rose and their father. They could never see the damage they have done to Nora, but as long as he was around, he would make sure they could never truly push her to the edge without him stepping in to help her.